Nigeria’s electricity sector has taken a major step toward regional integration with the formal admission of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) into the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP), even as the country continues to experience recurring national grid disturbances.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) said its admission was completed on January 24, 2026, at the 20th General Assembly of the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) held in Lomé, Togo, which brought together electricity system operators, regulators, policymakers and industry stakeholders from across the ECOWAS sub-region.
The development comes amid persistent grid instability in Nigeria. The national electricity grid collapsed on January 23 and January 26, following a similar nationwide outage in December 2025, plunging millions of Nigerians into darkness. According to the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), the first January collapse resulted from the tripping of multiple 330kV transmission lines and the disconnection of generating units, while the second was caused by a voltage disturbance at the Gombe Transmission Substation that rapidly spread across the network.
In a statement, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) said its admission into the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) reflects recognition of its mandate as Nigeria’s independent system and market operator, responsible for ensuring the reliability, transparency and efficiency of electricity system operations and the wholesale electricity market. The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) oversees grid operations, balances electricity supply and demand, and allocates power from generation companies to distribution companies and eligible customers.
The admission builds on Nigeria’s broader regional power integration efforts. In November 2025, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced that Nigeria had successfully conducted a grid synchronisation test with the interconnected West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) system, marking the first time the country operated in a fully harmonised configuration with the regional grid.
As a member of the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP), the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) is expected to contribute to regional grid coordination, system planning, information sharing and the development of a competitive regional electricity market, while supporting cross-border electricity trade and long-term grid stability across West Africa.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO)’s participation at the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) General Assembly was led by its management team under the leadership of its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abdu Bello Mohammed, who was present for the formal admission and inauguration proceedings.
Despite the milestone, analysts note that Nigeria must address ageing transmission infrastructure, system protection gaps and limited generation capacity to fully benefit from regional power integration and achieve lasting grid stability.